I’ve worked with several companies over the years, and most can use in-house marketing support if not an entire marketing team. The obvious drawback, of course, is the weighty budget commitment that would require. It’s easy to say “automate” your marketing, but it’s not something that happens overnight.

I’ve experimented with a scalable marketing agreement with one of my clients. With a few more tweaks, I think the in-house, off-site marketing model could be a welcomed phenomenon. As it stands, several vendors offer web maintenance, and as many more high-end advertising agencies will develop marketing strategies for a price. What’s not so common are vendors that help small businesses develop and build a strategy and a system for in-house marketing—efficiently on modest budgets. This is something I’m looking at with great interest.

If you love marketing your business, you know it’s fun at the start. But, hundreds of dollars in and you’re realizing it’s not really clear who your new pieces are designed to reach, things aren’t so fun anymore. It a common oversight that’s easy to avoid.

Small businesses, have neither time or staff to perform anything resembling a marketing survey. Yet, the need for accurate information about your client base is no less critical. So, here is my handy guide. If you can answer these questions fully, you’re probably ready to start designing a marketing piece that will be worth your time and money.

In detail:

1. Who needs it?
   _ Existing clients
   _ Referred leads
   _ General public
2. How do they get it?
   _ Print
   _ Electronic
   _ Print & Electronic
3. When do they get it?
   _ Before meeting you
   _ After meeting you
4. What should they do upon receipt?
   _ Call Write
   _ Go to your website
5. What will you do when they respond?
   _ Talk to them yourself
   _ Put them on a mailing list
   _ Send more materials

There are many other relevant questions to ask, but these are standard for any project. Any you can’t go wrong having these answers before you start.

Once you get the “front-end” items in place for a business—website, business card, stationery, phone system, brochure—you’re out the door shaking hands and rubbing elbows. However, it’s easy to give too little attention to the “back end.” Here is where the invoicing, writing checks, paying taxes, fixing the computer, writing notes, ordering supplies, and preparing proposals and quotes get done. The front and back end in this case are not to be confused with the front and back end of a website. I’m borrowing the terms to refer to the important things that are seen by your public (front end) versus the those that are unseen (back end).

If the back-end is not in place at the start, a small office will find it very hard to back pedal while simultaneously going forward. I’m still not convinced that’s possible. Anyone can count on me for one piece of unsolicited advice: get the back end developed before you start winning friends and influencing people. This is especially critical for e-commerce businesses that accept credit cards online.

Today there is an automated system on the market for virtually every marketing, accounting, and management function. I really like it that several payroll and invoicing services accomodate ultra-small businesses. The relational marketing movement that says, “satisfied clients are the best marketing.” Putting back end systems in place that buy me time to do good work is a priority right now. I plan future posts on how some of the obscure desktop applications that shipped with my computer help me keep organized. There are even simple ways to put your cell phone to better use. I’ll also look at web-based services (paid and free!), open source, and inexpensive desktop software designed for the hip and frugal. In the meantime, if you are working like a well-oiled machine, I’d love to hear about it.